What to expect 39 weeks pregnant
What to expect at 39 weeks pregnant. What happens during the 39th week of pregnancy? So close!!! SO CLOSE!!
How big is baby at 39 weeks pregnant?
Your baby is now as big as a pumpkin! They weigh on average 7.3 pounds and are around 20 inches long.
My advice for this week
It can be quite overwhelming waiting for your baby to arrive. One thing I recommend is to plan something for your due date. Whether that is a coffee with friends, a date night – anything. A “due date” date. This way, when you wake up on your due date you have something nice to do. Babies very rarely arrive on their due date so if you have something nice planned then this can help you to not be sitting around waiting impatiently for baby to arrive.
Another piece of advice I strongly give is to consider ways to kindly ask family/friends to back off a little. It can be overwhelming as you approach your due date with so many people asking lots of questions. “Is baby here yet?”, “how are you feeling?”, “any news/signs?”.
As a mum who has been through this four times myself, I know the pressure that it can bring. You are already impatient awaiting the arrival of a baby without the added pressure of family and friends. So think about ways you can tell your family and friends to please wait for your news. A text message is one idea, saying something like:
“We are really enjoying these last few days/weeks as a couple and we will let you know when we are ready to share our news once baby arrives”.
Is it okay if my baby is back to back?
I get asked this a lot as a midwife, and if there is anything that can be done to get baby in a more optimum position. What we do know about back-to-back babies is that they are often associated with longer labours. This is because when you go into labour with a back-to-back baby, ideally baby needs to turn before they are born. Having a back-to-back baby still absolutely means you can have a vaginal birth, it just means things may take a little longer.
There are some things you can help to get baby in an optimum position before your labour starts. Have you ever heard of the wives tale to scrub the kitchen floor to induce labour? Now before you think I am suggesting you go and start this arduous task, it is more about the positioning of your body. Being forward will encourage the heaviest part of baby’s head to swing forward. If they are back to back, then in this all-fours position can encourage them to turn and gives them more space in your pelvis to make this turn.
What can I do whilst I am waiting for labour to start?
Sitting on your birth ball in the final days/weeks whilst watching tv will benefit your labour so much. Keeping your body forward encourages the heaviest part of baby’s head to the front of your bump. Being on a birth ball tilts your pelvis forward and encourages this position.
